Speaker 1: Still the Place with Laura Layton, Courtney Thorn Smith.
Speaker 2: And daphne's Aniga an iHeartRadio podcast.
Speaker 1: Hello ladies, welcome to another Melrose minute. So one of
Speaker 1: the things that comes up in this episode that comes
Speaker 1: up in many future episodes is that Alison is dealing
Speaker 1: with Amanda, who is a very mean boss. It's mean
Speaker 1: at the workplace yet, but she's mean because she stole
Speaker 1: Allison's pretend boyfriend.
Speaker 3: I'm also a little confused on the structure at work
Speaker 3: because she's not exactly her boss, right.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Lucy's her boss, right, Lucy's her boss, and and
Speaker 2: like Amanda is the art director.
Speaker 3: Helped me understand exactly what the structure is.
Speaker 1: Amanda's the super attractive boyfriend's well, I know she's super attractive.
Speaker 1: That's what her official title is, but that's what she
Speaker 1: doesn't know.
Speaker 2: I'm going to annoy the woman who's playing Alison for
Speaker 2: the rest of her life.
Speaker 1: I think she's kind of parallel above, like say she's
Speaker 1: a number above on the on the call sheet, like
Speaker 1: you can get an actor language, she's probably above on
Speaker 1: the call sheet.
Speaker 3: So she's like the director in her department, and she
Speaker 3: works in a parallel department, like not in the same
Speaker 3: exact department, but they have to work together. And it
Speaker 3: seems like Allison is on a rung below in a
Speaker 3: different department, but they have to work together. So she's
Speaker 3: not her direct boss, she's not her direct report exactly.
Speaker 2: So what I just have to be clear. So, but
Speaker 2: she does become her boss.
Speaker 3: She's also a bossy and and sort of it. It
Speaker 3: is definitely an added layer to being irritated by how
Speaker 3: pretty she is. I'm sure.
Speaker 1: Yeah, So we're kind of talking about when you've dealt
Speaker 1: with bad bosses, and I have to say, you know,
Speaker 1: there was a time in this industry and you guys
Speaker 1: both know this that people were allowed to behave horribly
Speaker 1: And one of the good things that come out of
Speaker 1: the Me Too movement and this is that is that
Speaker 1: is less accepted. But don't you remember people used to
Speaker 1: be allowed to behave horribly at work? And I'm sure
Speaker 1: that's across the line. Like before there was hr I'm
Speaker 1: sure everybody of a certain age had a time when
Speaker 1: somebody was literally throwing staplers across the office. Do you
Speaker 1: guys have did you work well?
Speaker 2: You're talking about a boss, like a director or a
Speaker 2: producer or are you talking about a.
Speaker 1: Fellow or just like a coworker. Well, when when me
Speaker 1: too started, there were stories of prefamous stories of producers
Speaker 1: and they'd throw things at assistance and we all just
Speaker 1: sort of shrugged like it was okay. Remember that, like
Speaker 1: oh oh yeah, he's crazy, he's crazy, And now suddenly
Speaker 1: it's not okay. People started to see they had rights.
Speaker 1: But you remember, I remember people who had power on
Speaker 1: sets being able to yell and scream and we all
Speaker 1: just sort of hid and allowed it to happen.
Speaker 2: Well, because we thought that's how it works. The slady
Speaker 2: had to accept that the pyramid, the hierarchy is the
Speaker 2: way it goes. And yeah, I mean when I put
Speaker 2: myself back, it makes total sense. It's only now in
Speaker 2: hindsight where people who probably put up with a lot
Speaker 2: worse than us are like saying, no, this is bus
Speaker 2: not doing it anymore, not okay that you go, oh yeah,
Speaker 2: it shouldn't be.
Speaker 3: And I think there were like a specifically, like some
Speaker 3: commercial directors that just had a reputation for being absolutely
Speaker 3: hardcore and would scream at crowds of people, but it
Speaker 3: was still considered like, well, but if you want to work,
Speaker 3: and if you want to get this great job and
Speaker 3: work with this great director, you just put up with that.
Speaker 2: And it's really like a mark of.
Speaker 3: You know, Cachet to work with this guy, but what
Speaker 3: you have to endure is his screaming and yelling and
Speaker 3: the way he talks to his people and like that,
Speaker 3: like you're saying that it was just considered, Like okay,
Speaker 3: that's just what you have to put up with. And
Speaker 3: I get to say that I've done this job or
Speaker 3: this commercial or whatever with this notoriously, you.
Speaker 2: Know, not to forget me somewhere.
Speaker 1: I mean the other mark of cashe Yeah, like you
Speaker 1: tried to complain, they'd say, there are a thousand people
Speaker 1: who'd want your job. And the other mark of Cachet
Speaker 1: was for the person throwing a tantrum. I worked with
Speaker 1: someone who was a real bully once and he actually said,
Speaker 1: I love that I get to do whatever I want
Speaker 1: and people have to accept my apology because I'm so powerful.
Speaker 3: Oh, actually said the words out loud.
Speaker 1: He said the quiet part out loud.
Speaker 3: Wow.
Speaker 1: Actually said it that that was indicative of his power,
Speaker 1: that he could do crazy things and people had to
Speaker 1: put up with it because he had all the power.
Speaker 1: So it was a huge awakening, like a rude awakening
Speaker 1: for these people when things like HR started and you
Speaker 1: got to say you don't get it or cell phone started, right, Yeah,
Speaker 1: so when it first started, you remember this, like people
Speaker 1: would actually film people doing it and it was so real,
Speaker 1: or record them throwing a tantrum and people are like, oh,
Speaker 1: that's not okay like it used to be. Well, we
Speaker 1: have to put up with it because they're so creative.
Speaker 1: So the people who were being put up with felt
Speaker 1: powerful because they got to act out and be forgiven.
Speaker 1: They didn't have to grow up.
Speaker 3: And people who say that quiet part out loud probably
Speaker 3: don't just say it once. They probably go around saying
Speaker 3: it like they've repeated that phrase and they're wearing that
Speaker 3: sort of as a confident Hey, I can do whatever
Speaker 3: I want.
Speaker 1: Yeah, when I worked, probably doesn't talking about and I
Speaker 1: complained about it, and instead of telling the bully he
Speaker 1: had to stop bullying, they said, well, Courtney, we could
Speaker 1: find someone to like be with you. It's like I
Speaker 1: don't need a bodyguard, you like, have the bully stopped
Speaker 1: being a bully. But so that's dawned back then?
Speaker 2: Was this the eighties or the nineties, because I'm trying
Speaker 2: to think of or the two thousands, Like, at what
Speaker 2: point that you thought.
Speaker 1: That, Well, I think it was as I grew up,
Speaker 1: so you know, when I was younger, you just sort
Speaker 1: of get quiet, and there's this thing of like, so
Speaker 1: everybody's sort of talking about how awful they are, but
Speaker 1: there was no sense of we shouldn't have to put
Speaker 1: up with that. Yeah, Like I think it wasn't until
Speaker 1: the Meto movement that kind of people went oh, no,
Speaker 1: way to minute, no.
Speaker 2: Right, Like you know what I'm saying is did you
Speaker 2: say that but you spoke up, right.
Speaker 1: You're saying he did finally speak up. Yeah, so this
Speaker 1: was after.
Speaker 2: Me too, or did you think no it was way
Speaker 2: back okay, so you were like you thought, this is
Speaker 2: not okay.
Speaker 1: I mean that's but the response was, yeah, we can't
Speaker 1: do anything about him, So we're just going to try
Speaker 1: to protect you within the framework of this system, which
Speaker 1: is that he gets do whatever he wants and we'll
Speaker 1: try to take care of you in quiet ways without
Speaker 1: upsetting him.
Speaker 2: I know. But what I'm saying it didn't dawn on
Speaker 2: a lot of us back then that it was wrong.
Speaker 2: Like I would have. We're sort of like what's that term? Uh,
Speaker 2: you know where you just kind of go this is
Speaker 2: the way it is, Like I would.
Speaker 3: Send time on me.
Speaker 2: I would just go, oh, he's a creep or he's
Speaker 2: a this, and I say he because most of them
Speaker 2: were he's, he's, he's, he's he director, producer, director, producer.
Speaker 2: There are so few women. But I would never, in fact,
Speaker 2: I probably would go to my therapist and say, fix
Speaker 2: me so I can deal with this. I would never
Speaker 2: go and think that the whole system needs a change.
Speaker 1: Ever, because we were so conditioned to accept this behavior.
Speaker 1: It was like there were famous stories right about these
Speaker 1: producers and oh yeah, oh yeah, he's crazy. But at
Speaker 1: no point did people say until that movement did people say,
Speaker 1: oh no, no, that's not okay. And I thought was
Speaker 1: so interesting when Me Too came out, was that somebody
Speaker 1: would complain about somebody and then all of these people
Speaker 1: would come out, and each each woman had thought she
Speaker 1: was the only one.
Speaker 3: Right. People don't just say it once, they don't just
Speaker 3: do it once.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Yeah, I was very touching. There were times when
Speaker 2: I thought to even say it out loud and to
Speaker 2: go through it. There's a certain form of trauma. I mean,
Speaker 2: I don't think I was traumatized in the way that
Speaker 2: a lot of women were that came out, But I
Speaker 2: think there's a mental and emotional that you kind of
Speaker 2: like an inventory that I went through, going oh that
Speaker 2: wasn't okay, or maybe this wasn't you know, having worked
Speaker 2: all through the eighties and the nineties and the two thousands.
Speaker 2: But I think you're right, it's changed.
Speaker 3: Yeah, things have changed, and the accountability I think is
Speaker 3: is just there's much more of a consciousness about it
Speaker 3: in a conversation about it.
Speaker 2: You know, the system had been was more rigid, it
Speaker 2: was more there were fewer in roads, you know. Now
Speaker 2: it's like you see all these people. There's work everywhere
Speaker 2: because of phones, and it's easy to create content and
Speaker 2: so many outlets that I think, like people was very
Speaker 2: small and rigid before to get into this industry and
Speaker 2: so and the system was so kind of like it
Speaker 2: felt it very locked and stiff, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2: And now you're in a generation these kids are like
Speaker 2: these are gig employments, you know, they're into like, I
Speaker 2: don't want to work here anymore. I don't like my boss.
Speaker 2: This is who they are. You know, there's that that
Speaker 2: that is always.
Speaker 1: So heartbreaking to me too, Like so much was heartbreaking
Speaker 1: about the Harvey Weinstein stuff. He really did have the
Speaker 1: power to ruin the careers of women who refused to
Speaker 1: sleep with him, Like, how can that be? That was
Speaker 1: the eighties, It's not like it was the twenties, Like
Speaker 1: that was the eighties. That was so recent.
Speaker 2: But he came out of why seventies and the sixties
Speaker 2: and the fifties were in the forties, I mean, it
Speaker 2: just kind of kept going.
Speaker 1: Poor died that behavior.
Speaker 2: Of course, That's what I agree.
Speaker 1: He had invented rooms.
Speaker 2: It was normal for him.
Speaker 1: It went on doing anything wrong.
Speaker 2: I know, That's what I'm saying. It's like when you
Speaker 2: look back to where he grew up in it, he
Speaker 2: and his I mean I read.
Speaker 1: A little bit about it. He looked it was objectively
Speaker 1: hideously wrong, but you think of how embedded in the
Speaker 1: system that was. Yes, of course that's insane. So there's
Speaker 1: no wonder we sort of thought, well, there's a price
Speaker 1: to be paid in the re is this attitude in
Speaker 1: our business, And I hope it's better for young actresses
Speaker 1: coming up now. But it's that there are a hundred
Speaker 1: people who would like to be here, like, just suck
Speaker 1: it up. I always knew this was my code when
Speaker 1: I knew something was wrong. If they say to me,
Speaker 1: be a sport, be sport, like I have done stunts
Speaker 1: I shouldn't have done that, I would not do today.
Speaker 1: Do people actually say those words, do you be a sport?
Speaker 1: You've never heard that, daph Have you heard that then
Speaker 1: in a work country? Well I have, I hear whenever.
Speaker 1: Now I know. Now it's like if they say be
Speaker 1: a sport, it means put yourself in danger for us,
Speaker 1: And I'm like, you know, I'm not a sport. I'm
Speaker 1: here to take care of myself because I have taken
Speaker 1: risks for stunts that now. Look, the vast majority of
Speaker 1: stunt coordinators and stunt guys are super careful and they
Speaker 1: say are you comfortable? Does this work for you? But
Speaker 1: I've done a couple of lower budget things where they
Speaker 1: just kind of wanted to get it done and they
Speaker 1: wanted to see my face and they were like, you
Speaker 1: can do it right. You're a sport.
Speaker 3: And they said be a sport.
Speaker 1: You're a sport, and I was like, yeah, I'm a sport.
Speaker 1: Like that very young part of me that wanted to
Speaker 1: hang out with the guys. I'm a sport like now
Speaker 1: the older part of me is much stronger in protecting
Speaker 1: the younger part of me. But I would do it.
Speaker 1: Like there was one time I was doing a stut
Speaker 1: and I was running and jumping into a moving car.
Speaker 1: And I look back on that and I go, wait
Speaker 1: a minute, like, yeah, it could have I could have
Speaker 1: gone like not just hurt me and I couldn't finish
Speaker 1: the day's work, Like you can be so hurt doing
Speaker 1: something like that that it could have ruined my life
Speaker 1: could have gotten very little. But I could do it. Yeah,
Speaker 1: Like the little tomboy and me wanted to prove I
Speaker 1: could do it. And I'm just it's heartbreaking. All these
Speaker 1: come on because I've had I have been pressured to
Speaker 1: do things. For the most part, I stood up to it.
Speaker 1: But I've been pressured to do plenty of things I
Speaker 1: didn't want to do on sets where I had a director,
Speaker 1: I might I may have shared this on another episode,
Speaker 1: but when they said everybody out there thinks you being
Speaker 1: a baby, Oh yeah, that's everybody thinks you're being a baby,
Speaker 1: And it's just like it's so rule that kind and
Speaker 1: then you say, by the way, were lying. I came out,
Speaker 1: except I came out and the crew was like, good
Speaker 1: for you. For like, the crew was one hundred percent
Speaker 1: on my side. Crews are amazing. They were one hundred
Speaker 1: percent on my side. But they tried to manipulate me.
Speaker 1: It was just like I said to Allison, and Allison
Speaker 1: said Romanda. In the upcoming episode, she says, everybody thinks
Speaker 1: so except for Billy, Except for Bally, I hope that
Speaker 1: it's it's better. I hope that there's more support for
Speaker 1: young actors and actresses that they don't have to do
Speaker 1: things that they're uncomfortable with. Yeah, we need more minutes.
Speaker 1: We're out of minutes. We have so much to say.
Speaker 2: That was just a Melrose minute.
Speaker 3: That's all just a little light topic.
Speaker 2: Welcome to the industry. Come on in, guys, all right, wellnutes.
Speaker 2: That's why the best advice is, if you can do
Speaker 2: anything else to make a living, go do it.
Speaker 3: We can discuss that.
Speaker 1: I'm insanely grateful for my career. I've had, for the
Speaker 1: most part, a great time, and I think it's changing.
Speaker 1: I think I think the industry is becoming more accountable
Speaker 1: and there are more protections now for young people, and
Speaker 1: I think young people are better educated about their rights
Speaker 1: and what they can expect. Yeah. I have so much
Speaker 1: faith in these upcoming generations. I really do. I think
Speaker 1: they're amazing.
Speaker 3: Well, on that note, on that always lovely to chat
Speaker 3: with you ladies for this matter is a minute.
Speaker 1: Thank you for listening. Listene soon for another episode. Y
Speaker 1: bye bye,